Al Dente

two of the worst bloody marys cost $28 at Sunday brunch. food was good. Service weak. and they Charged Me TWICE for the whole meal $120 for two people. i called back 3 times to have them credit my card and they shuffled me around to different people and still havent taken care of it 6 weeks later. STAY AWAY.

I normally dont write reviews for places, as I try to at least give a restaurant a chance, but after the experience we had, I felt compelled. We ordered 2 orders of Spagehetti & Meatballs (#51 on the menu) and a side of asparagus. The total came to $50. When the food came, we were completely shocked of how small the proportions were. Additionally, for $11, they charge you for FOUR pieces of asparagus!! I would highly reccomend that you stay away from this place if you like more than a childs portion of food. There are much more valued places like Coppolas for you to go to.

Always liked the look of this place from the outside and tried it on a whim on Valentine's Day. What a pleasant surprise! The atmosphere was fittingly romantic, and even though the restaurant was very busy, the volume of conversation and music was low enough to enable intimate conversation. The service was attentive but not intrusive or obsequious. Our food arrived in a timely manner, was piping hot and delicious. Of special note was the Grilled Calamari appetizer special. So happy to have found this great neighborhood eatery just 3 blocks from home. I'll be coming back.

I arrived by myself around 7:15 and the restaurant was fairly empty. I was brought to a very nice table with good lighting (I had a book to read) and the service was five. I had a beautiful mista salad. The nice selection of greens were fresh and gently cooled so they were crispy and flavorful with a fine sprinkling of a vinaigrette which allowed the greens to be the stars of the dish. The Tagliolini Alla Nostra Maniera was not the thin pasta promised but a nice portion of a hearty spaghetti with a terrific sauce and selection of seafood. It was delicious and just the right amount. By this time, the restaurant had filled and the waiter (one in the room) gave his attention to the larger tables. He finally came over with the check in hand and asked if I would like dessert. When I asked to see the menu, he walked away and returned with the menu after he served water and menus to the table next to me and engaged with them in a conversation about the specials (which were not offered to me) and the wine. He could have leaned over and asked for my dessert order at that point but he did not. By the time he did come by to take the dessert order, it was too late for me to have dessert and I had to ask for the bill. Again I waited quite a bit for the bill. I'd say once the tables filled with two or more customers, this single was ignored. The tip reflected this and I hope the waiter understood. I normally tip high to help make up for being only one and because I do not drink. Not this time. I really liked the food but I'll not be returning. There are too many just as good restaurants in NYC that treat singles well.

Our family visited this lovely Italian restaurant around Thanksgiving 2010. Looking forward to going back again this Mother's Day. The food, wine and service are perfect. Highly recommended!!

We've been here a couple of times (we dont' live in NYC). We love it. The food has always been fantastic. It is a very tiny place, so it feels crowded, but it also feels typically NYC. Our service was great. They were attentive but not hovering. I can't speak to the bruch, we always go for dinner, but the Italian dishes were great and the prices, especially for NYC were fantastic.

Worst brunch experience I've had this afternoon at Al Dente. We went here b/c our orignal choice of Sarabeth's was too crowded and the wait was too long. So we went to Al Dente which is right in the area. We ordered French Toast, which tasted great, however, they sliced up ONE slice of toast into four very small pieces, added 5 banana slices as garnish on a large platter to make it look as if there was a lot of food on the plate. When we asked the waiter if these were normal portion sizes, he said yes. We made a note to never come here again, but quietly ate our food. Then we noticed (since we were sitting by the kitchen) that the manager kept sending staff out for groceries! Also other plates coming out of the kitchen were way fuller than ours! By then we'd already eaten, so we asked the manager regarding the portions, and she said what we got is standard and she saw our plates and that was their norm. We asked if it was b/c they ran out of ingredients in the kitchen, which we heard her say, and she said not at all, they were fully stocked. We continued to complain and she gave us half-price on the meal. We get outside and looked at the menu again, and notice we were supposed to get strawberries with our french toast, not bananas! No one asked us if they could substitute! When we go back in to question her about that, she says oh but we gave you extra bananas instead! 5 thin slices of banana is not generous...So in summary: - Childsize portions - Poor management - You don't get food as it's described in the menu - They don't take American Express Bottom line, go somewhere else.